


but it's better if you do it.

by commonemergency



Series: ficmas 2017. [1]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Phil has a nightmare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-10 07:06:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12906726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/commonemergency/pseuds/commonemergency
Summary: “I’m sorry Phil,” Dan whispers against his neck. Phil thinks that this is for both of them, struggling with things that the other doesn’t quite understand but still being there for the other because it’s just what you do for someone you love.prompt: phil just had a nightmare and dan tries to comfort him although he is having one of those bad days





	but it's better if you do it.

Sleep paralysis is something that Phil has only ever had a few times, once when he was a child and he didn’t understand, and then again when he was in university. The third time is right now, he feels like there’s something on his chest and he can’t get up, can’t move his arms, and he can see Dan but he can’t call out for him, he can’t even really move his fingers much. In the corner of his eye he sees a bright light and there are whispers, _your family is going to die, all of your family is going to suffer. We’re going to kill them._ It’s frightening, what he’s feeling, and Dan doesn’t even know because he can’t move. 

When he does wake up, it’s in a sweat, there’s still that ringing in his ears. He takes the covers off and looks at his phone and sees that it’s four in the morning and Dan hasn’t stopped scrolling on his phone. They’ve been together so long Phil can tell whenever something is going on in Dan’s brain. He was quiet earlier when they were watching a movie, he didn’t even react to the funny parts like he usually does. More often than not Phil let’s him be, but he’ll do small things like making him a cup of tea and pressing his lips to the side of his head while he surfs the web for hours trying to find something that can hold his attention. 

“Are you okay?” Dan asks, his eyes not peeling from his phone. 

Phil sets up in the bed, running a hand through his hair and stretching a little. He felt so stiff during his sleep paralysis, he was still trying to convince himself that it wasn’t real. Nightmares are not something that he’s used to but he’s just starting to understand Dan’s kind of drowning. 

“Yeah, I had sleep paralysis. I heard voices. I don’t remember hearing voices last time I had sleep paralysis- or maybe I’m just forgetting.” Phil shrugs his shoulders and takes another deep breath. 

Dan puts his phone down and and leans over to wrap his arms around Phil for a moment, and it feels nice to have a different kind of weight on Phil’s body. 

“I’m sorry Phil,” Dan whispers against his neck. Phil thinks that this is for both of them, struggling with things that the other doesn’t quite understand but still being there for the other because it’s just what you do for someone you love. 

“Sleepytime tea and netflix?” Dan presses a kiss to Phil’s bare shoulder, making himself get up. 

Phil nods his head, grabbing his PJ bottoms from the floor and slipping them on. He waits while Dan gets himself out of the bed. His actions are slow, and take time, it reminds him much like a turtle, but it makes Phil smile, he’s doing the things that need to be done, even if it takes a while, there’s bravery in that. 

Dan grabs Phil’s hand and leads them out of their room and to the kitchen. 

Four A.M sometimes felt a bit little melancholy, an invisible fog that lasted throughout the house because everything around them is silent. Dan let’s go of Phil’s hand and turns the kettle on, his feet drag from one place to the next and Phil offers to help but Dan stops him. 

“I want to do it,” Dan says with a small smile, doing what Phil does for Dan every time the world feels a little bit darker; he pushes his hair away from his face, his fingers softly caressing his cheek and his nose. The smallest of touches were something that had meant the most for Phil. 

While Dan waits for the kettle, Phil comes up from behind Dan and breathes him in. 

“We can call your mum in the morning, or maybe in an hour if she still wakes up at five for her morning walk with your dad,” Dan offers, placing his hands on top of Phil’s. “We can visit Martyn and Cornelia later today, too.” 

Phil can’t help but smile into Dan’s back. He didn’t have to ask what the nightmare was about, he knew that these were the things that sometimes kept him up at night. 

When the water is done, Dan grabs two mugs and then grabs the tea bags. 

“I’ll meet you in bed.” Dan presses his lips against Phil’s forehead, adding that he’ll bring it to him. 

Dan comes back five minutes later with a tray that has the two teas and two toasts on a plate with butter and jam. 

Dan sits cross legged in bed, setting up the laptop and typing the netflix login and playing one of Phil’s favourite episodes of Friends. It does make Phil laugh, and when he looks to Dan he’s been watching him with the faintest of a smile. He hasn’t eaten his toast yet, but offers it to Phil. For some reason, he has a feeling that was done on purpose. Phil feels loved, even with the smallest of gestures. 

When the tea has been finished and the toast devoured, Phil brings it back to the kitchen and puts the laptop away because Dan has been slowly fading beside him. He’s surprised to see that he’s still awake when Phil gets back but he opens his arms for Phil, to hold him while he tries to fall back asleep. 

“Thank you,” Phil whispers into the quiet. 

“Love you.” Dan says, “Sweet dreams.”

**Author's Note:**

> ahhh this is my attempt at doing ficmas this year!
> 
> comments/kudos appreciated. 
> 
> talk to me on tumblr/twitter: **@nihilismdan**


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